Words by For a generation of moviegoers, Chris Evans is Captain America. But his career began long before the shield, and since hanging it up he has looked for roles and projects that stretch well beyond superheroes.
Early life
Christopher Robert Evans was born on June 13, 1981, in Boston and grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts. His mother ran a youth theater company, and he caught the acting bug early, performing in local productions as a child. His younger brother, Scott, is also an actor.
As a teenager he spent a summer in New York interning at a casting office, then studied acting in the city.
Early career
Evans’ first major film role came in the parody “Not Another Teen Movie” (2001). He followed with “The Perfect Score,” “Cellular” and other films.
His first big franchise role was Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in “Fantastic Four” (2005) and its 2007 sequel. He also earned praise for darker or quirkier work, including Danny Boyle’s “Sunshine” (2007) and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010).
Captain America
In 2011, Evans signed on to play Steve Rogers in “Captain America: The First Avenger.” He has said he hesitated at first because of the size of the commitment. The film was a success, and Rogers became the moral center of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He played the character in “The Avengers” (2012), “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019). His final scene in “Endgame,” in which Rogers returns the Infinity Stones and finally lives his life, became one of the most talked-about endings in modern film.
After Marvel
Evans moved quickly into other roles. In Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer” (2013) he had already shown a darker side. After “Endgame,” he played a spoiled heir in Rian Johnson’s whodunit “Knives Out” (2019), a hit with audiences and critics.
He starred in the Apple TV+ series “Defending Jacob” (2020), voiced Buzz Lightyear in “Lightyear” (2022), and appeared in “The Gray Man” (2022) and “Ghosted” (2023). He made his Broadway debut in 2018 in Kenneth Lonergan’s “Lobby Hero.”
He also directed the drama “Before We Go” (2014).
A Starting Point
In 2020, Evans co-founded A Starting Point, a nonpartisan website featuring short videos of elected officials explaining their positions on issues. He has said the goal was to make civic information easier for busy people to find and understand.
Personal life
Evans has spoken openly about anxiety and how it affected his early career choices, which he has credited therapy and meditation with helping him manage.
He married Portuguese actress Alba Baptista in 2023. His rescue dog, Dodger, has become a favorite of fans online. People named him Sexiest Man Alive in 2022.
Roots in Massachusetts
Evans has stayed closely tied to the Boston area, where he spends much of his time and where his family still lives. He is a devoted fan of the city’s sports teams, especially the New England Patriots, and has often joked that his accent returns the moment he crosses the state line. He has supported local causes, including visits to children’s hospitals, sometimes in full Captain America costume.
Choosing roles
In interviews, Evans has described looking for projects with a strong director and a script that makes him nervous. That approach led him from big-budget action to small dramas and comedies, and it helped him avoid being defined by a single role, even one as large as Steve Rogers.
Legacy
Evans’ version of Captain America was earnest without being dull, a hard balance that helped anchor a franchise of dozens of films. Since then he has worked to show audiences that the man behind the shield has many other characters to play.
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